Maintaining a Healthy Body Weight

How do you achieve a healthy body weight, especially if your aging body is working against you? It's a tough job, but you can absolutely maintain a healthy body weight as a senior.

First, figure out how many calories you need to eat in a day to get to and maintain your ideal weight. Women over age 50 who are inactive and get little to no exercise need about 1,600 calories each day. That number jumps to 2,000 to 2,200 for very active women, and it's in the middle, at about 1,800 calories, for those whose activity levels are average.

Men over age 50 need about 2,000 calories each day if they're not very active, and between 2,200 and 2,400 if they're moderately active. Men who get a lot of physical activity each day need between 2,400 and 2,800 calories.

Start with these basic numbers in mind, then meet your needs with healthy foods — not just any old calories. To stay full and satisfied while losing weight, try these changes to your diet:

Add foods rich in fiber, like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.Limit salt and fat.Drink a lot of water.Choose lean meats like chicken, fish, or turkey without skin, instead of hamburger or steaks marbled with fat.Eat and drink lots of low-fat or fat-free dairy products.

Remember to add exercise into your weight management equation. Make a commitment to yourself to get active. It’s okay to start out slowly, then gradually increase your activity level until you're working out and burning calories on most days of the week. The more exercise you get, the better you'll feel — and the easier it will be to maintain your weight.